In short: The Reminder is another multifaceted gem.
The Reminder sounds best on headphones, since its rich room tone and casual instrumental interplay is essential to the experience.
The Reminder should elevate Feist above the success she garnered on both Let It Die and her set of remixes, Open Season, because it appeals to both the mainstream and the anti-mainstream.
Whereas her last album's smoothed-out eclecticism could be both daunting and empty, The Reminder is equally diverse yet more full-blooded.
Quieter and more uniform in sound than the willfully eclectic Let It Die, the new album emphasizes her sumptuous vocals and ear for a handsome melody; “So Sorry” and “The Park” wouldn’t sound terribly out of place on a Norah Jones record.
Feist is now that rare artist in complete control of her talent. Where Let It Die now seems like a scattershot experiment, The Reminder focuses and expands, as Feist narrows in on a trademark sound.
Overall ... this is a fine album and certainly Feist’s best yet. Whether it be the haunting Honey Honey or the swaggering The Moon My Man, there’s guaranteed to be something of interest for all.
The Reminder may not surprise, but it does force one to ignore the cloying marketed image and just love Feist for the talented individual that she is.
Though jangly uptempo ditties are nothing new for the Canadian singer-songwriter, it's these kinds of songs, seemingly constructed for radio play, that mar the otherwise radiant Reminder.
Although it stumbles here and there ... it's also littered with the proof that few artists are as adept at crafting such smart, intimate pop and from such a bevy of sources.
She follows the same path she took with Let It Die -- which, being as strong as it was, is certainly not the worst decision she could've made -- and does it well, which means that the album does end up a consistently good listen. But it also means that it's not much of a departure from what she's shown before.
There's a sense, too, that The Reminder is more than the sum of its parts: while nothing here is wholly original, it is a pleasure for as long as it plays.
Replace the sleepy stuff with more songs like “My Moon,” and The Reminder would have been killer.
Overall, I'm afraid it sounds better than it is. Some of the tunes I mentioned are download-worthy and would have been better served by a more consistent record.
8/10
exceptional
Fav tracks: So Sorry, I Feel It All, My Moon My Man, The Water, Sealion, Past In Present, The Limit To Your Love, 1234, Brandy Alexander, Honey Honey
I vibe with this so much harder than Broken Social Scene. Feist just hits you with near-flawless track after near-flawless track on what happened to be one of the best indie pop albums I’ve heard in a good while. Feist’s empathetic writing works wonders when paired with songs that know when to go big and when to pull back and let their mistress’ powerful voice transport the listener wherever she so chooses. It’s the mark of a truly amazing record when almost every track ... read more
So Sorry / 9.5 ★
I Feel At All / 10 ★
My Moon My Man / 8
The Park / 8
The Water / 9.5 ★
Sealion / 10 ★
Past In Present / 10 ★
The Limit To Your Love / 10 ★
1234 / 9
Brandy Alexander / 8
Intuition / 10 ★
Honey Honey / 7
How My Heart Behaves / 9.5 ★
Any artist who has had their music featured on The Inbetweeners soundtrack deserves immediate props from me, and Feist is no exception. Plenty of delightful folk pop treats on here to accompany your botched trip to caravan club, or a leisurely pussay patrol through the housing estate. Big props if you actually understand these references
1 | So Sorry 3:11 | 91 |
2 | I Feel It All 3:39 | 91 |
3 | My Moon My Man 3:48 | 91 |
4 | The Park 4:33 | 90 |
5 | The Water 4:46 | 95 |
6 | Sealion 3:39 | 87 |
7 | Past in Present 2:52 | 85 |
8 | The Limit to Your Love 4:20 | 94 |
9 | 1234 3:03 | 94 |
10 | Brandy Alexander 3:36 | 84 |
11 | Intuition 4:36 | 87 |
12 | Honey Honey 3:26 | 90 |
13 | How My Heart Behaves 4:24 | 89 |
#3 | / | TIME |
#5 | / | Paste |
#5 | / | Treble |
#11 | / | No Ripcord |
#18 | / | SPIN |
#19 | / | Pitchfork |
#20 | / | Cokemachineglow |
#20 | / | Consequence of Sound |
#26 | / | PopMatters |
#35 | / | Rolling Stone |